Investigating Geographical Variations in Internet Censorship

Filtering and censorship of the internet are widespread phenomena, ranging from minor screening of offensive content to the pervasive and comprehensive filtering seen in states such as China and Saudi Arabia. Interestingly, and contrary to most existing studies, internet filtering is not necessarily homogeneous across a given nation, but may instead be applied to varying degrees according to geographical or organizational factors.

This talk will explore technical means for investigating internet filtering at the regional level, explore the legal and ethical implications of this form of research, and present the results of investigations into regional variation in filtering across China.